Competitive and non-competitive climbs
There are 2 main stair climbing race formats:
- Time trial - climbers are sent off at separate time intervals (usually 10 sec) and are chip-timed based upon finish time minus start time. The majority of US climbs use this format, as it allows for 100s or 1000s of participants.
- Mass start - where all climbers line up on the start line together and run a short distance before entering the stairwell. This approach is used for competitive/elite only races.